


I Can't Anymore

by RoseWaterTears



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Cheating, Fire, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, It's mainly Sokka and Zuko, M/M, Protective Azula (Avatar), The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar), everyone else is just mentioned. - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26912911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseWaterTears/pseuds/RoseWaterTears
Summary: What happens when the love of your life cheats on you? Zuko is madly in love with Sokka, but Sokka can't seem to realize how lucky he is with that.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 166





	1. Chapter 1

The door opened with the sound of the lock being turned, Sokka looked in, he knew already that it was too late for him to be out. Zuko was on the couch, tear tracks on his face long dried and the bottle of wine in his hands empty. His voice was hoarse from crying and raspy from his cold rage. 

“Where were you?”

Sokka closed the door behind him, his inebriated steps a soft stutter on the carpet. The clock over the T.V said it was 2:38 in the morning. An hour and a half after the last call. There wasn’t a good excuse he could use and his silence spoke more than he ever could to Zuko.

“Were you with someone? Again?” 

A sob broke free of Zuko on the last word. He couldn’t do this. This was the final straw on the horse’s back. Sokka still was silent, standing by the door, not sure where to set his eyes.

“So you’re not even doing to try to fight on this one? Try to tell me that you were too drunk to know what was happening? That it was only someone from work and it didn’t mean anything? Sokka, I was that person from work at one time.” Zuko rose from his spot on the couch, tears fully streaming now. 

“You tell me these lies that you know I want to hear. You tell me that you love me, but I know it’s fake. I guess I should have known that at one point you would get tired of me. All I wanted was your love.” 

Sokka couldn’t meet his eyes to Zuko’s for longer than a second, so he resigned himself to look around the apartment. Slowly he realized that there were things missing. Zuko’s favorite chair wasn’t in its usual place and the family photos of Zuko, Iroh, and Azula weren’t on the wall anymore. 

“I forgave you so many times. I thought maybe if I did, you wouldn’t have this need to go out and find temporary shit in bars and from work. I helped you through college and at finding a great job for you. I believed in you and I bore my all to you.”

The only light in the room was the street lamp streaming in through the bear windows. Windows that used to have red silk drapes covered with gold embroidery. 

“I had a fucking shitty life, I didn’t have love for the longest time and I finally found it within my Uncle and Azula, and you came along and I thought I had found it in you too. I need for you to look me in the face right now.”

Zuko strode to where Sokka had been standing this whole time and waited for the man in front of him to finally meet his eyes.

“I am only a fool for you, I guarded myself against everything, but I let my walls down  _ for you _ . I was in love with you Sokka. I still fucking am. But, but I can’t do this anymore. I gave you more chances than I ever gave myself.” Zuko’s voice was harsh within the silent room. Sobs breaking into the words he spoke.

“So here we are, it’s the middle of the night, I packed all of my things up and I’m leaving. I don’t want you to chase after me. I don’t think I could do this if you did.” 

Tears were starting to drip from Sokka’s face as well as if the weight of what he had done was finally started to set in. Gold eyes searched within blue ones.

“You were my first in so many things, Sokka. And I truly thought you were going to be my last in them too. You were my first kiss, first time, first  _ love _ . The first one I ever talked to about my father, the first to know how I got my scar, I gave you so much of me. But it wasn’t enough, I wasn’t enough.” Zuko gave a bitter chuckle at the last sentence. 

Zuko turned to the door right behind the man that betrayed him. He reached within his pocket and drew out a small velvet box.

“I was going to give this to you right around the time you did it the first time. But you confessed, and I thought I would just wait for a better time. It never got better though. Katara helped me pick it out.” Zuko placed the box into Sokka’s limp hand.

“The only ones I ever told about you cheating was Azula and Uncle. I left the explaining for you with everyone else.” Zuko turned the doorknob and opened it to leave.

“I paid rent for another 3 months. It’s the least I could do for the happiness I used to feel. I love you, Sokka. I just wished you could have loved me too.” Zuko left, leaving Sokka alone in a half-empty apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm sorry. I have more fics and not all of them are sad. I promise. I have. Tumblr at Rosewatertears0 and it'd be cool if you messaged me prompt ideas, and if you have a request.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories always make things harder.

It’s been 8 months, and 17 days since Zuko left Sokka. He stayed in the apartment for the three months then moved back with Katara into their childhood home. He stopped drinking, he stopped going out, he stopped doing anything really. He just went to work and back home. He didn’t even let himself continue his friendships from work. In a way, it was his way of punishing himself. 

Sokka knew what he did was wrong. He knew while he was doing it that he would regret them. But he was really fucking dumb anyway. He fucked up not once, not twice, but three times. He didn’t feel anything significant with any of them, just passing distractions from his stress at work, but there wasn’t an excuse for them.

Zuko… Zuko was the greatest thing to happen to Sokka. And he just fucked it up. Sokka was laying in his bed remembering the amazing moments he shared with Zuko.

**********

They met while working at the Jasmine Dragon.

At the time they were both just college students trying to work minimum wage to survive. They both had worked there for months without meeting, but the end of the year came and both of their schedules changed and they got paired one hot day. Customer after customer filed into the shop, each more desperate than the last for an iced tea and A/C.

The whole day was a rush with only small breaks of slowness to save them. They didn’t speak much, and not without any trying from Sokka. Zuko was just a closed-off person, still was sometimes. But Sokka kept making his jokes, his puns, and his very odd observations.

“Do you think that Mrs. Sato killed her husband and claimed life insurance?” Sokka stage whispered one strangely slow day. Zuko stopped cleaning the espresso machine to give him a silent look, one eyebrow creeping up towards his hairline.

“Don’t give me that look. Just think about it, she wears pretty nice clothes, she never wants to speak about his death but shamelessly flirts with Iroh, and from what I’ve heard her say to the other ladies in her book club, for most of her marriage, she was a nurse and he was an entrepreneur. A nurse and an entrepreneur don’t have fancy clothes money.” Sokka began doing his own cleaning, but with the counter.

“Dude, ever heard of Sato Tech?” Zuko chuckled. It was such a rare and amazing sound that Sokka’s brain couldn’t make any other connections.

“What of it?” He brushed off stray crumbs from the pastry shelves.

“Sato… Mrs.Sato… Sato Tech owner/CEO dying and their daughter taking over his role.” Zuko was giving Sokka a smirk and allowing him enough time for the rusted cogs in his brain to work. Sokka stood there a moment, truly basking in his newfound sense that he really was dumb.

“I’m so obliviooouus.” Sokka rested his head in his hands, and let out a groan. Zuko gave a sharp laugh and hid behind his rag as he giggled. Sokka gave him a side-eye look and realized he would die to hear that laugh again.

**********

He invited Zuko for a night of chilling at Sokka’s apartment as a celebration for completing their winter finals. Movies, Chinese food, and a plan. A plan to maybe kiss the cutest boy he’s ever seen. He heard a knock on his door and opened it to find a black-clad and shivering boy carrying 3 cases of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, struggling to not drop one.

The two of them were great together, watching bad B movies and laughing every time the actress looked like she was going to hurl from kissing the main actor. The food was long gone and the hard lemonade was almost finished when Zuko turned to Sokka.

“Hey, help me decide something real quick. Yes or no?” Zuko folded one leg so he was fully facing Sokka now.

“What?” Sokka was more than a little confused. 

“Oh! I guess I’ve never done this with you before. I have this thing that I’ve done since I was, like, 15 and if I can’t truly get over my internal struggle or I can’t decide on something, I ask someone yes or no without telling them the choices and it helps me decide. So… Yes or no?” Zuko bit his lip, and Sokka thought it was the cutest and endearing thing ever. Even if it made his bottom lip look a little patchy from being abused.

“Yes,” Sokka spoke without hesitation, and the moment the word was out, Zuko reached forward and cupped his hands on Sokka’s jawline and their lips slotted together perfectly. Sokka parted his lips and gave Zuko’s an experimental flick of his tongue. A soft moan escaped Zuko as he opened his mouth in turn. He doesn’t know how long they were connected like that, but when they pulled apart for air, Zuko leaned his forehead on Sokka’s as he spoke.

“I’m so glad you said yes.”

**********

They moved in together after that. Things felt amazing with the domestic vibe. They both still had classes, but their days started at drastically different times. Sokka had 8 am classes while on most days, Zuko’s first class was at 11 am. Sokka would wake up before Zuko, shower, cook some breakfast, eat, get dressed, and then leave, but he always made sure to make enough breakfast for Zuko too. He worried that he wasn’t eating enough sometimes.

He also left small notes for Zuko. Usually just a small “have a good day” and a smiley face, but sometimes there were puns or reminders of things Zuko had to do, like call his uncle or to finish an essay. 

It was about 5 months of living together when Sokka found the box. He was doing some deep cleaning when he found an old Converse shoebox under the bed. He opened it to make sure he wasn’t throwing anything important away, but inside he found his notes. The notes he writes every morning for Zuko. Zuko had... saved them. 

Thinking of the Devil, Zuko walked in at that moment to find his boyfriend dressed in a pink apron and gloves, sitting on the floor, with a box of his most precious items. Anxiety filled Zuko.

“You saved them?” Sokka looked up at his love, unaware of the turmoil happening in front of him. Zuko brushed his fingers through his ridiculously long hair.

“Yeah, I thought they were cute and really sweet. I can get rid of them if you think it’s stupid.” Zuko went to try to take the box out of Sokka’s hands, but he yanked it away and held it out of reach.

“No! I think it’s the sweetest thing that you saved them, I’m getting all fluttery inside thinking about it. You really liked them that much?” Sokka’s eyes began to lightly get wetter and he started to hug the box as if it was a comforting stuffed animal.

Zuko crouched down and sat next to Sokka. “I just think your handwriting looks nice, and, I don’t know, letters are really romantic? Even if there’s no romance in it, just the thought that someone took the time to write it out and give it to you.” Zuko sighed. “I just think they’re neat.”

Sokka began to write countless letters to Zuko after that. Filled with everything from boring plans for the day to letters filled with haikus and other forms of poetry. Zuko loved each and every one of them. Soon they moved from crappy wide rule paper and 12 cent pens to more artistic unlined paper and fancy pens that had no right to being as expensive as they were.

Sokka had fun writing on these in his newfound hobby. He loved seeing Zuko’s face light up when he found a new note waiting for him, or hearing Zuko gush over something so simple. So simple but ultimately was a giant joy to both of them.

**********

Sokka sat up in his bed, tears streaming down his face remembering how happy they were before he fucked it up. He just wanted to talk to Zuko one more time. To say everything weighing down on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wasn't thinking of adding more, but 1 comment got me thinking of how I can continue. I already have part of chapter 3 planned too, so stayed tuned.


	3. Not Today

Sokka hadn’t written a letter in almost a year. He lept from his bed a made a mad dash to his shelves, frantically trying to find any amount of pen and paper, almost crying when he found some old notebooks and half-dried pens. He sat at his old ratty desk with his treasure, and just… sat there. He had so much to say, so much to write, he didn’t know where to start. 

So he started at the beginning.

**********

Sokka spent almost 3 weeks writing everything. Re-writing drafts, finding all of his precious memories, filling more than 5 spiral notebooks with his thoughts, finally grabbing a smooth pen and some plain printer paper for his final product. He didn’t want to say he was proud of it, who can be proud of it with why he wrote it, but he felt content. 

He sealed it within an envelope he found, the bulk of 5 pages making it seem like it was going to burst. The next Saturday morning, he awoke with dread and excitement battling within him. He needed to give Zuko this letter. 

He didn’t want to dress like he expected something, so he wore some old and worn jeans and his favorite blue t-shirt. The dread was making itself more prevalent, consuming any excitement he was foolish to have. But he still needed to say everything. He  _ needed _ Zuko to know what happened on his side and what he felt. He was in his car before he knew totally what he was doing. His life just on autopilot again.

He just thought of Zuko.

Almost a year later, but he knew exactly where he could find him. 

**********

The Jasmine Dragon wasn’t a normal tea shop. Yes, it served tea and pastries, but it had a vintage and older feel that made anyone feel more at ease. It had wrought iron fencing around an outdoor seating area, but homey wooden furniture and the green awning was striped with yellow. He parked down the block and slowly made his way to the quaint place. 

He stopped at the glass door and took a steading breath and began to pull to open the door. The door was forced closed harshly by a manicured hand, and he was shoved away from the entrance of the tea shop. Sokka stepped back and finally looked up to see his assailant.

Azula stood before him, outfitted in dark wash jeans and a blood-red sweater with matching chucks. What stood out the most was the server tray in her hand and the apron tied around her waist.

“No,” Azula’s voice was as sharp as Sokka remembered it. 

Sokka sighed, “No what?” He tried to pull on the handle again, but Azula shoved her foot against the bottom and wouldn’t budge.

“No, you don’t get to go in there and fuck him up again.” She pointed one black nail to the glass, and inside Sokka could see Zuko smiling to an older customer and setting down a steaming paper cup. Seeing Zuko in real life after so long was like a dream. His hair was long and greasy and he seemed thinner, more taunt. He was dressed in his usual blacks, but even those seemed a little duller. He was smiling though, golden eyes twinkling in the morning light.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Azula, I just want to give him something.” Sokka tried and failed once more to open the door. He gave her as level of a stare that she could, but he could feel his weak spirit being to crumble with this resistance.

“You see that smile on his face? That took us 5 months to even glimpse it again, and that far and few in between too. 5 months of movie nights and missed meals and crying sessions and wordless days, and I’m not even convinced that he’s okay now. I’m not letting him sink back into that hole again.” Azula’s voice was laced with venom and every killing intent known to man. She one-handily shoved Sokka again, away from the view of the window, away from the view of Zuko, and into a small alleyway beside the shop.

“I just want to see him for 5 minutes. I have a letter I want to give him, and I promise, that’s the last you and him will see of me.” Sokka put his arms up in defense. His voice getting thicker by the moment and he doesn’t know how much longer he could take without completing his ill-advised mission.

“Do you want to hurt him again or are you just stupid? Did you not hear anything I said? Seeing you would ruin him right now. He is far too fragile when it comes to you.” Azula wasn’t known for her patience. Oh no, she was known for her lack of impulse control and her violence. She’s worked on it with therapy, but there always seemed to be that someone that triggers her anger, and right now it was a pathetic looking dipshit wearing blue.

“That’s why I want him to read this letter. I want him to know it wasn’t fake, and that I truly loved him.” Sokka shows the envelope to her, hoping to sway her. Even if it’s just a bit. He’s putting his all into this and he knew he had to get some kind of approval from Azula if he was to even step one foot into the sanctuary of the Jasmine Dragon.

“Fine, you want him to have it? Let me take it to him.” Azula held one hand out expectantly while the other was stuffed into her pocket. Sokka was hesitant of giving it to her, but this was his only chance to make amends. He slowly lifted it to her outstretched hand and placed it within. Immediately she crumpled it and brought a translucent green lighter out of her pocket.

Before he could even think to react, Azula lit the corner of the letter and continued to drag the flame of the lighter across the edges of the envelope, successfully speeding up the process of the fire eating away at the paper. He rushed forward to try to save it, but she dropped it onto the dry ground before him, turning to walk back into the cafe. He watched as the last corner curled on itself and turned into ash. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always liked the idea of a fiercely protective and still unhinged Azula wanting what's best for Zuko.


	4. Too Much To Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it y'all. Are you ready?

Katara was reading on the couch when Sokka stumbled into the house. She looked up and couldn’t believe the sight before her. Sokka collapsed on the chair set by the door, ugly sobs racking his body and his face so pale that he was almost unrecognizable. She ran to him and gathered him within her arms, holding him as his body shook and gasped for breath. 

“Katara, ah. She wah-wah-wouldn’t let me see him. I-i get it. I do! But it st-still hurtssss so fu-fucking much.” Sokka started hiccuping from his sobs. She helped him to his room and into bed, but she knew there wasn’t much she could do for his internal pain. She was a med student, not a therapy student. Whatever they were called.

The time flew by as she stayed with her brother, her hands rubbing small circles into his back, listening to him talk, and she didn’t realize the sun had gone down and the stars made their way into the sky. She hoped that this small gesture would help comfort him. Soon his crying subsided and he just looked… empty.

“I spent so much time writing to him Katara. I know I don’t deserve his forgiveness, I know I don’t deserve  _ him _ , but I just wish he could have read some of it. I will never repent for what I did. I-i really want him to see how much I love him.” Sokka sounded hollow, just a husk of his former self. He sniffled again and shifted his face deeper into the pillow. Slowly sleep overtook him and she stood. 

She began to walk out of his room but was stopped by the sight of his desk. Atop it was 5 notebooks and countless sheets of paper. It was just a mess of ink and lines and tear stains. It was that moment she steeled herself and made her decision. She gathered everything she could find with writing, everything from the notebooks, to the printer paper, to the crumpled little sticky notes with Zuko’s name overflowing on them.

Within her own room, Katara put everything into a box and sealed it. She reached into her pocket and although it was late, she pressed on his name. It was only 2 rings before a low and raspy voice said, “Yeah?”

“I need to talk to you.” Katara’s voice was feigning calmness, but Zuko could hear the slight anxiousness running below her words.

“Did Sokka ask you to?” Zuko missed Katara, he truly did. They didn’t get along at first, Katara had thought Zuko was just going to use Sokka for whatever reason. But their friendship grew, and Sokka wasn’t the only one losing someone close to him when Zuko left.

“No, but I’m not going to lie and tell you I’m not doing part of this for him too.” Katara couldn’t hide the ache in her chest and the wavering of her voice as well. She knew Zuko would never judge her for being emotional though.

“I’m at Uncle’s right now if you want to come over. We can talk in the shop for some...neutral ground. I assume you still know the way?” Zuko’s voice was laced with something unidentifiable to Katara. Something heavy. 

“I’m on my way.” Katara hung up, not letting her give herself time to say anything else. She sat on her bed for a long moment. Ice in her veins, but a fire in her stomach. She released a heavy sigh and grabbed the box. 

The drive wasn’t filled with traffic like it was during the day, so she made it to the shop in less than 15 minutes. It was strange to think that something so close to her house was now made so foreign to her. 

She parked in front of the shop knowing no one was going to come to tow her at that time of night and exited with the box within her arms. She came to a stop in front of the glass door and saw Zuko walk to unlock it for her. He pushed the door to let her in and eyed the box suspiciously.

Zuko led them to a booth that sat two cups of steaming tea that smelled of lavender. Katara smiled to herself.

“You always knew what tea was best for what situation. Thank you.” They sat down and Zuko couldn’t fully look at her, but she could tell that he was making an effort.

“You can thank Uncle for that. I had years of hearing his riddles and teachings, something had to stick. “Zuko smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes.

She took a sip of the warm tea. “I’m here because I missed you, but also because of what Sokka tried to do today.”

Zuko looked weary at the mention of Sokka. “W-what did he try to do today?” His voice was made into hardened steel, but his body swayed lightly.

“So I guess Azula didn’t tell you. Huh… He, uh, he came down here with a letter and wanted to give it to you, but Azula stopped him and kinda shoved him into the alley. And she said the only way you were getting that letter was if he gave it to her, and then she,” Katara’s voice grew angry, recalling what her brother had cried to her. “Zuko, she set it on fire in front of him and walked away. He came home almost dead on his feet. She crushed his soul.”

Zuko’s face was unreadable which was strange to Katara. She had known him so long that she felt betrayed in a way. By herself and by Zuko.

“She did what?” He was… furious. His hands were curled into white-knuckled fists and his voice sounded like he was one word from exploding. He turned his head away from Katara, but she already saw the fury race through his eyes. “Thank you for letting me know. Now if you can excuse me, I need to go talk to my sister.” Zuko made to get up, but a cool hand encased his wrist.

“Wait! I have these.” She pushed the box across the table towards him. “I know they aren’t the final product and I don’t even know if you would have read the letter anyway, but I wanted you to have these. Sokka isn’t in the best of shape, and you have no reason to do this, but you should read them. Please.” Katara’s voice was the softest and smallest Zuko had ever heard it.

“I, uh.” He paused, unsure of everything happening. “Thank you. If you could go now? I really need to think.” He rose and motioned towards the door. Katara finished her tea, stood, and made her way to the door before opening it.

“It was good to see you again Zuko. I just want you to know that I was your friend too. I’m not just his sister.” Without another word, she left, leaving Zuko alone in the dark shop with a box and his thoughts.

**********

Zuko had stormed up the stairs to the apartment he shared with Azula and Uncle, but once he made it to the door, he was quiet. He snuck in and tried to not be seen. He successfully made his way into his room and locked the door.

He sank into his bed with his new bounty, staring at the Doc Martens logo. He let out a sarcastic huff of a laugh and wondered if Sokka had used the box or if Katara had picked it out. Slowly he opened the lid and picked up the first notebook.

He opened it and at first glance, he knew this was like no other letter he had gotten from Sokka before. This was… something more personal. Like a journal. Things weren’t written in a specific order, it just was his thoughts. Memories and passages are thrown together, waiting for their final project.

**********

**Zuko, I still remember the look on your face that night. The hurt there. The hurt that I caused. It haunts me and my dreams. I see it every time I close my eyes. I have nothing to say about my actions then, but I can tell you about my actions now. I stopped drinking for you. I stopped way too late, but late is better than never, right? I haven’t thought of anyone, but you.**

  
  


**Do you remember the night that there was that horrible storm? The weatherman said it was only going to be a light drizzle, but it was almost as bad as a tropical storm. We sat on our balcony and watched the rain come down in torrents. I made us some hot chocolate that night. We stayed up until 1 am and even then, we left the window open to listen to the water as we fell asleep in each other’s arms.**

  
  


**One of my favorite memories is when you helped me go crazy Britney Spears and shaved my head for me. I’m still not 100% sure why I did that. I wasn’t even having a meltdown from school at the time. I guess I just never truly liked the way I looked sometimes, and that was just a thing to try. Something different.**

  
  


**You have always been beautiful in my eyes. Everything about you has its own elegance and beauty. The grace in your arms when you do anything, holding a book to reaching for a plate from the cabinet. The refined muscles in your back when you lifted things. The way your jawline could cut diamonds and the soft ridges of your cheekbones. Your plump pink lips, they weren’t always soft though. You had a problem with biting your bottom lip all the time from your anxiety, and you never wanted to use any of the chapsticks I got for you. But your eyes, your eyes held the depths of the universe. They harvested the gold of late afternoon sun rays, flecks of yellow that rival the most beautiful sunflowers. And those fucking eyelashes. I could stare at you for hours and still find more to love.**

  
  


**I don’t know why I did it. I really don’t. I do know that I could never love them like I love you. I was an asshole, an asshole to you and to them. They didn’t know I was already seeing someone, so in a way, I hurt them too. I can never repent. I’m worthless. A scum human being. I just want to try again. To make it up to you, to make it up to myself and everyone else. I dishonored gran-gran, she didn’t raise me to be an unfaithful pig. I’m pretty sure Katara hates me, at least just a little bit, because I saw how Jet treated her and cheated on her and what it did to her, and yet I still did it.**

  
  
  


**I don’t know how you ever put up with me. I’m rash and loud, reckless, and crude. I make jokes out of everything. I’m too fucked over from my mom dying and you need someone that can help you with your own troubles, not add with their own.**

  
  


**You have an amazing voice, Zuko. We all heard you sing one night when we were having a drunk karaoke night. But you hated the attention it got you. You hated it when everyone asked to hear it again. About a year later, we had been dating for a little over 6 months then, you sang to me. But only me. We were in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, it was a sleepy lazy day. We had some music playing and Hallelujah came on. You sang to me, your face just a few inches from mine, in that dark room, eyes closed the whole time. Like you wanted to feel the music instead of just hear it.**

  
  
  


**You were just so nice to me. You believed in me. Believed in my wants and my dreams. I would have dropped out of college that last year if it wasn’t for you. I had my 4th panic attack that week, and I just a fucking mess. But you came, with crappy Taco Bell tacos that you knew were my favorite and you sat with me. We talked for hours, and you helped me realize I did have what it takes to be an architect. I don’t know if I ever told you, but that’s when I knew I loved you.**

**********

It took Zuko hours to finish everything. He read it, reread it. Memorized pages upon pages of feelings. He stayed up through the night, the budding of sunlight started to drift through his windows without his knowledge. 

**********

Sokka was awoken by his ringtone, eyes closed, he answered.

“Hello?” Sokka’s groggy voice spoke into the phone.

“Hey, it’s me” A raspy voice answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Comment your thoughts, please! I love reading them all. Talk to me on tumblr at Rosewatertears0. I can take requests for some fics if y'all want.


End file.
